Back to Arcturus:
The Normandy was on its way back to Arcturus from the Citadel. They had two things to do when they got there. They were to get further orders from Colonel Yularen about what to do next and they would also inform Admiral Kohoku about what happened to his missing Marines. They had a bit of time to pass so Shepard decided she would go down to the Engineering deck to speak with Engineer Adams and the Quarian Tali.
When she got down to the deck, she found both the people she was looking for near the power core of the ship. Most Citadel Ships uses Element Zero for fuel but as a Republic ship, the Normandy used a different type of fuel such as Rhydonium which was dangerous when exposed to skin, they would also use Helium-3 as a fuel for normal space travelling. When travelling in hyperspace, star ships used a different fuel such as Tibanna or Coaxium. The need for this fuel is why the Republic built special cities over gas giants which were used for mining these gases. The fuel was also valuable on the black market so gangs would often raid the shipments for this fuel. After the contact between the Republic and the Citadel, the Citadel species tried to build their own hyperdrives but without access to Tibanna or Coaxium, they were unable to build their own hyperdrives as Element Zero wasn't powerful enough to power hyperdrives for star ships so the Citadel was still needing the Mass Relays as none of the Republic Species were willing to assist the Citadel after the Shanxi War.
Shepard walked over to Adams who turned around to greet her "Hey Commander" he greeted "You know that Quarian Tali? She's been spending all her time down here asking me about our engines."
"If she's bothering you with your duties then I'll tell her to leave you alone." Shepard stated
Adams was confused but then shook his head "Oh no, she's not bothering me." He replied "She's amazing; I wish half my guys were as smart as she is. Soon she'll know more about our engines than I do. She's got a real knack for technology. I can see why you wanted her along."
"She's a real asset for the team" Shepard stated "And her knowledge on the Geth might be useful for us."
"You've got an eye for talent Commander" Adams replied "But I guess that's not why you came down here."
Shepard did have a question for Adams and it was to do with the Normandy's stealth drives "Fill me in on this ship's stealth systems. How does it work?"
Adams smiled "You can't hide a ship out in space even with the Republic's cloaking technology as they emit too much heat and radiation so radar can pick them up. Unless you find a way to capture those emissions. The Normandy's stealth systems trap the radiation in special storage tanks built into the ship itself which means there are no emissions to give away our position. Eventually those tanks have to be emptied otherwise they'll overheat and start cooking us in our hull. They could still see us if they look out of a window but you would have to be pretty close for that. Most ships relay on scanners to find us but even a decloaking scan wouldn't pick up us up unless we accelerate to hyper speed. Those emissions have a too high frequency to be trapped in the tanks but we're just a scout craft so we won't be fighting in proper battles like our Star Destroyers. Our mission would be to get in and then get out of an area which is why the Stealth Systems are amazing."
"Carry on Adams" Shepard replied
"Aye Aye Commander" Adams stated and then he went back to work.
Shepard then went over to Tali who was staring at the ship's drive core "Your ship is amazing Shepard" Tali stated to her "I've never seen a drive core like this before. I'm surprised you can fit it onto a ship this small. Of course, I've never seen that many Republic ships before. Now I'm understood why the Republic has been so successful, your ships are so advanced."
"The Normandy is a prototype ship with cutting edge technology" Shepard responded "Not every ship in the Republic is like this."
"You know just a few months ago I was a makeshift fuel line into a convert tug on the flotilla and now I'm sitting on board one of the most advanced ships in the galaxy. Thank you again for letting me travel on this ship, it is a dream come true."
"I didn't know you found ship technology so interesting." Shepard stated
"That's common when you're a Quarian." Tali claimed "We live on ships all our lives. The migrant Fleet is the key to the survival of our people. Ships are our most valuable resource. Do you want to know something, one time the Flotilla passed through the edges of the Terminus Systems shortly after the Verge war and we actually found the remains of one of those massive Star Destroyers that the Republic has. The flotilla talked about salvaging the ship for parts but some decided to get the ship operating again. The Flotilla was against it as the ship was too big and needed too many people to crew but after a battle with a group of pirates where the ship singlehandedly fought back the pirates, the Flotilla decided to name the ship as the Flotilla's flagship. That one ship is almost like a city to us Quarians so many civilians now live on the ship like it's our mobile space city, it's basically our version of the Citadel."
"There is one thing I wanted to ask you about Tali?" Shepard stated "When we first met you said that you were on something called a pilgrimage, what is that?"
"The Quarians have few raw resources so sometimes we have to go out and get them." Tali responded "When my people reach maturity, we leave the ships where we were born and seek acceptance with a new crew. It's necessary to maintain genetic diversity among the fleet. Some would seek to be on our warships while others would be more like engineers. But no ship wants to accept someone who will be a burden to them so we prove our worth by embarking on our pilgrimage. We set out alone, leaving the flotilla and our families behind and we only return when we find something of value to bring back to the fleet such as a piece of technology. This is presented to the captain of the ship we want to join and if the gift is accepted, then we are welcomed as part of that ship's crew."
"But what happens if that gift is rejected?" Shepard asked
Tali shook her head "That doesn't happen often. I've never really heard of cases like that happening. Most captains are eager to increase the size of their crew because it increases their standing in society. Even when the gift is not valuable, the captain accepts out of a sense of tradition. However there is a stigma to presenting a sub-standard gift, it's not the best way to make a first impression on a new community. Most pilgrims don't return until they find something valuable."
"But isn't it harsh to send you out alone?" Shepard asked "The galaxy is a dangerous place and Quarians aren't welcome in most places."
"That is true and I have heard stories about Slavers trying to capture Quarians but we aren't that valuable to them because of our weakened immune systems. But it's not like they cast us out, we are given lessons in how to survive outside the flotilla and we are given gifts to help us survive. We also have implants to protect us from illness and disease as we have very weak immune systems. What you would call a common cold would be fatal to us. By the time we leave the flotilla, we are well-equipped for the pilgrimage. This is a rite of passage for all Quarians and if it were dangerous then our numbers would suffer. Every pilgrimage ends with a triumphant return and the ritual presentation of the gift to one of the fleet's captains."
Shepard was about to leave but then she heard Joker call her over her comm. "Hey Commander, you better get up here, we're approaching Arcturus Station."
"I'm on my way Joker" Shepard responded as she made her way to the bridge."
...
Shepard soon found herself on the Bridge where Bau was waiting for her. Looking out of the window, Shepard saw that they had left hyperspace and were near Arcturus Station.
Luke looked at her while Joker piloted the ship "Commander, we're about to dock but we've just had word from Republic Command that Rear Admiral Mikhailovich is waiting for us at the docks."
"Great" Shepard sighed
"What's going on?" Bau asked "Who is this Rear Admiral Mikhailovich?"
"Mikhailovich is the commander of the 63rd scout flotilla" Shepard answered "Part of the 5th fleet. It was where the Normandy was to be assigned after our mission on Eden Prime but now we technically part of the Republic Secret Service. He may not like losing a prized ship like this."
"Will he be a problem?" Bau asked
Shepard shook her head "Mikhailovich is a loyal Republic Admiral. He will most likely be performing an inspection to see if the ship is up to Republic standards. He may not be use to the design of the Normandy and he may not like that we have none Republic crew members though he'll tolerate you Bau since you're here on Citadel orders."
"I guess we'll see what he wants when we land" Joker stated "I'm docking now."
...
The Normandy soon docked at Arcturus Station and Shepard soon made her way off along with Bau, Kaidan and Ashley since they may be needed here.
They knew about Mikhailovich and as soon as they saw him, Ashley and Kaidan saluted in respect.
Rear Admiral Mikhailovich clearly was a no-nonsense type of man which you could tell by the stern look on his face. He looked younger as he looked to be in his mid thirties which was why he had the rank of Rear Admiral. He also wore a smart Republic officer's uniform with his rank plaque over his left side of his chest "At ease" he called to them "I'm Rear Admiral Mikhailovich of the 63rd Scout Flotilla. I gave word to your ship that I would be here."
Shepard saluted as well "Commander Shepard, RSV Normandy. We did have word that you would be here."
Mikhailovich looked at Bau "I know about your mission and you bringing a Spectre with you. We may be an independent power but both our governments have to work together to bring peace. Admiral Hackett briefed me on your mission to hunt down this Saren. I can't think of anyone better to lead this mission than you Commander Shepard. But I am disappointed about having to lose this ship of yours. I heard that the Normandy's new stealth systems would have been perfect for top scouting missions into dangerous territory. I'm here to make a routine inspection; the Normandy is still a Republic Vessel and every ship needs to be inspected to make sure that its taxpayer's money well spent."
"I'll be glad to let you look around" Shepard stated to him.
"I bet" Mikhailovich stated "This won't take long Commander."
...
The inspection took about an hour and Shepard waited until Mikhailovich came back. From the look on his face, he wasn't that happy "Commander, I'm not really happy" he stated
"I'm sorry to hear you say that" Shepard responded.
"Seeing a CIC at the rear end is normal on a larger ship that would be used in battle but the Normandy is a scouting vessel." Mikhailovich stated "What if the captain needs to discuss with the operatives ahead of the bow?"
"It's a modified Turian style" Shepard responded "They prefer commanders who look over their workers rather than be in the middle of them." Shepard had learnt this while training "We want to see how effectively we can command with that set up."
Mikhailovich pondered for a moment "That's a reasonable goal but I believe it would have been best to study that in a lab than on a front line warship. Another problem I have is with the drive core on that ship. I feel like the drive core is too powerful for a ship this size, the amount of money it cost to build that core could have been used to build a lot more starfighters for our carriers or even another destroyer. What good is it for this ship to hide for a few hours?"
Shepard responded to that question "The Normandy can hide in enemy space and spy on enemy fleets or planetary defences which can aid in an upcoming battle and even drop infiltration teams on enemy planets and the enemy won't even know about it. This ship is just as effective as the Salarian STG teams."
"I admit that is a good need" Mikhailovich admitted "But that is not the goal of a proper warship so I don't see the need for the amount of weaponry on this ship. And there is one last problem I have and it's to do with your crew. I understand bring the Salarian with us since he was assigned to this joint mission but I am concerned about the others. The Krogan mercenary, the Asari student and that Quarian. The Republic and the Citadel are still at odds with each other and it's not wise to let them get their hands on top Republic technology."
Shepard knew that this would come up but she had prepared her answer "Between Saren and the Geth, the Republic has enough enemies already. Even if we don't like each other we need to build bridges with the other races to find allies if we end up needing them."
"That's if we need them" Mikhailovich stated "The Republic has many allies in the many races we have. Is there anything else you want to say to me Commander?"
Shepard looked at the Rear Admiral "Even if you disagree Rear Admiral, the Normandy is a fine piece of engineering with prototype technology. At some point that technology may be important if we end up in a situation of war and the mix crew shows that we can work together."
"Your job is to look good" Mikhailovich stated "The Republic army has to win wars. I'm not fully convinced that the Normandy isn't a waste of taxpayers' money but I do believe that you believe otherwise and are using her to her best needs. I am also convinced that the Normandy can operate on top missions like this one with the Geth. I'll be submitting my report to the Joint Military Council but it will not be as negative as I planned." He then saluted "Good luck Commander Shepard, make us all proud." He then left to go and write his report leaving Shepard and her team alone.
"Charming man" Bau stated
"Mikhailovich is only doing his job" Kaidan stated "He's not here to be our friend."
"We should go over to the Republic military command" Shepard stated "Hopefully we can find Colonel Yularen and hope that he has more news for us."
...
Shepard and her team soon made it at the Republic Military Headquarters where they hoped to find Colonel Yularen and Rear Admiral Kohoku. But before they entered the building, they saw a man nearby who was calling for Shepard so Shepard decided to see what was wrong.
"Commander Shepard" the man greeted "My name is Samesh Bhatia, I'm sorry for the intrusion but I don't know who else to talk to."
"It's no trouble but I do have important business to deal with" Shepard replied "What's wrong?"
Bhatia sighed "It's my wife; she was stationed on Eden Prime. She was part of the 212."
Ashley then knew who Bhatia was talking about "Wait, your wife was Serviceman Nirali Bhatia? I'm Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, I was serving with her."
"Chief Williams?" Sameth gasped "It's a pleasure, Nirali spoke highly of you."
"I'm sorry for your loss" Ashley stated "What can we do for you."
"I've requested that my wife's body be returned to me for cremation" Samesh stated "But for some reason, the military has refused my request."
"The Republic is suppose to return all the bodies of the dead to their families for cremation" Shepard stated "Did they say why?"
"I don't know" Sameth sighed "They only stated that it was impossible to return her body at the moment. The man in charge is known as Clerk Bosker and he was currently meeting with several officials in the Headquarters. I just want to give my wife a proper funeral and the respect she deserves."
"I do what I can to have your wife's body returned to you." Shepard stated "She deserves to be returned to her family."
"Thank you Commander" Sameth stated "I'll see you later."
...
Shepard, Kaidan, Ashley and Bau soon entered the Republic Military Headquarters after handing their code cylinders to the Guard and Shepard saw many of the workers busy working on their computers as they transferred information around Arcturus Station to where the data needed to go. Nearby Shepard saw who she was looking for, it was Clerk Bosker who had just shook the hand of someone and Shepard quickly made her way over.
Clerk Bosker saw Shepard and his eyes widened as he knew who she was. Apparently, Shepard was well known across the Republic "My goodness, you're Commander Shepard. Your activities made for quite the briefing in the Diplomatic Corps. Is there something I can do to assist you?"
Shepard nodded "Yes, there is something you can do. A man named Sameth Bhatia asked me to speak with you. He wants to have his wife's body returned to him for cremation."
Bosker sighed "Mr Bhatia." He said softly "He's a good man and I understand what he wants to do. I wish I could help him. It's wasn't my idea to not allow his wife's body to be returned but there is a reason why. Serviceman Nirali Bhatia died on Eden Prime as Mr Bhatia told you; however the wounds she received are different from the type of weapons that we have seen which is why her body is being held."
"So her body is being tested to learn more about Geth Weaponry?" Shepard questioned
"Yes" Bosker replied "They said that these tests may help us create better defences against the Geth. That means she could save more lives even in death."
"I understand what it is you're trying to do but this isn't right." Shepard stated
"Commander, you know how far we must go to protect the Republic from future attacks!" Bosker protested
"But holding the remains of people who died won't go down well with others" Shepard replied "Some of the other Republic Species call this desecration and it could lead to a split in the Republic which would make things worse. Do you want this to happen?"
Bosker gasped as he had never thought about that "No, I want to help the Republic but I can't watch the Republic break up over something like this." He then sighed "Tell Mr Bhatia that I'll release the body to him for a funeral. Maybe the samples we've already collected could at least give us some idea on how to improve defence."
"Thank you Clerk Bosker" Shepard stated "Now I must go and see Colonel Yularen and Admiral Kohoku."
...
Shepard soon found Rear Admiral Kohoku's office and when she entered, she found Kohoku sitting behind his desk reading some documents. He looked up when he heard his door opened and smiled when he saw Shepard "Commander Shepard" he greeted "Do you have any word on my missing men?"
Shepard sighed "I'm not sure how to tell you this Admiral." She stated "But I'm afraid that your men are dead, they were killed by a Thresher Maw."
"A Thresher Maw?" Kohoku gasped "That's not... my men wouldn't just stumble on a Thresher Maw nest. Not the entire unit."
"Someone lured your men with a Republic Distress Beacon" Bau stated "It was placed perfectly so they'd land right next to the nest. This wasn't an Accident; someone lured them there to kill them."
"Damn it!" Kohoku growled "I had a bad feeling about this ever since my team went missing. A Republic Beacon used as bait and no one seems to know anything about it." He then sighed "Commander, I appreciate what you did; now I need to do my part, the families of my team need to know what happens. I'll also do some investigation to see who's behind this. It could be the Batarians or some rebel faction. I'll let you know if I find anything out Commander."
"I'll be happy to help in any way I can Admiral." Shepard replied "By the way, do you know where Colonel Yularen is; I need to ask him if he's found anything else on the whereabouts of Saren?"
"Colonel Yularen is currently in his office in the Republic Secret Service building." Kohoku answered "In fact he wanted to tell you something but it had nothing to do with Saren. He said something about an entire colony being in danger."
"I'll be right over there then." Shepard stated and she left with her team to find Colonel Yularen.
...
Shepard soon found Colonel Yularen in his office but she was surprised at who else was in the office. The person had yellowish skin and his face was covered in short fine hairs that grew longer and thicker around the mouth, he also had a flat nose but the most distinguishing feature of his man were his four eyes which allowed Shepard to see that this man was a Batarian.
The Batarians were a race that had a terrible reputation for being pirates and Slavers. Ever since the Republic became known to the Galaxy, the Batarians tried to seize control of the area known as the Skyllian verge from them claiming it was theirs to control. Several Batarian funded raids provoked a fast and angry response from the Republic and it was used as a reason by the Senate to not join the Citadel. The Batarians were classed as a Citadel member despite not obeying their rules. The first major clash between the Republic and the Batarians was at Mindoir where Batarian Slavers attacked the colonel which took years to rebuild. The response nearly started a war and only the when the Citadel put huge pressure on the Batarians was war prevented but it still made the Republic invest heavily in defence to fight of future attacks.
The Verge War began after the attack on Elysium and the Republic pretty much smashed the Batarian navy which was weaker that the Batarians claimed. When the war ended, the Batarians entered a civil war which resulted in many major colonies breaking away from the Hegemony's control and forming the Batarian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth had an ambassador on Arcturus station so this Batarian was probably the Batarian Ambassador.
Colonel Yularen saw Shepard entered and greeted her "Commander Shepard" he stated "I'm glad you're here, I did have more to tell you about your hunt for Saren but we have a situation that needs your attention."
"Admiral Kohoku said something about a major colonel being in danger." Shepard stated
"It is." Yularen stated "I'll let my Batarian friend here explain."
The Batarian got up from his chair "So you're Commander Shepard. Every Batarian had heard of you on what you did on Elysium. I say well done as you saved many lives that day. Not every Batarian agrees with what the Hegemony did that day which is why many of us broke away. My name is Galem Cognerr, the Ambassador from the Batarian Commonwealth."
"So what is this about a colony being in danger?" Ashley demanded
"After the Batarian civil war ended, the new government decided to send in special agents to spy on the Hegemony as there were fears that they were building up their strength in order to force us to be part of their nation again." Galem stated "Some of these Agents also spy on Slavers in order to help us give your colonies a warning before the attack. One of my top agents has stated that your colonel known as Terra Nova is in extreme danger and I don't mean from Slavers."
"What do you mean?" Kaidan demanded.
"A group of Slavers recently took control of an Asteroid that Terra Nova was bringing towards Terra Nova for mining." Galem stated "But apparently these Slavers decided to go even further, they've activated the Fusion torches and now the Asteroid is on a course for hitting Terra Nova."
"What!" Shepard shouted "That's madness!"
"I know it is" Galem stated "Even for the Hegemony, this is extreme, the Citadel forbids actions like this and the consequences of this going through would be severe for both the Commonwealth and the Hegemony. If Terra Nova is destroyed by this, no one will trust the Batarians again. The Asteroid is now too close for it to be destroyed; it will just split into several different pieces and cause even more damage."
Yularen then spoke up "You're going to have to lead a small team to retake the Asteroid and shut off the torches. And capture the leader if you can, we cannot let this action go unpunished."
"I will" Shepard stated "I'll set off right away and then I'll carry on my hunt for Saren."
"Good" Yularen stated "Oh and speaking of Saren, my agents have reported that the woman who was in the Recording of Saren, Matriarch Benezia has been spotted on Noveria."
"Noveria?" Bau questioned "This will be tricky, I'll have to go along with you."
"Good luck Shepard" Yularen stated "And make sure you stop this Asteroid."
Galem then spoke up "And there is something else, our agent on this Asteroid will help you. My agent is unable to shut off the torches as she'll be exposed."
"And how will I know who your agent is?" Shepard asked
"It will be easy since my agent is a woman" Galem stated "The Hegemony doesn't allow Woman to be part of the military, so if you hear a female Batarian then you'll know that she's the Batarian you're looking for."
...
Shepard and her team didn't waste any time. Shepard knew that time was critical so she and her team went straight back to the Normandy. She was able to meet with Bhatia on the way back but quickly informed him of the problem she was facing and had no time to talk. Bhatia thanked her for helping him and wished Shepard luck.
As soon as they made it back to the Normandy, Shepard went towards the Bridge "Joker, Luke, our next mission is important that we must head off right away." She said to them.
"Aye Commander" Joker replied but he noticed that Shepard was worried "Is everything alright Commander?"
Shepard sighed "We need to get to Terra Nova right away. Take us there the fasted route you can. If we're too late then a major colony and 4 million people will be gone."
"That's sound serious!" Luke gasped "We're heading there right away." The Normandy quickly left the docking bay and left Arcturus Station before Luke put the coordinates into the navi-computer and the Normandy blasted into lightspeed towards Terra Nova.
Chapter End:
Notes: Well here is the next chapter and Shepard has her new orders. The next chapter will introduce a new companion for Shepard and it will be a female Batarian. In the Mass Effect Universe, we only ever see male Batarians but there is a female Batarian in one of the books. I decided to bring in a female Batarian instead of a male as I had a few ideas on a personal side quest involving this new character and some Batarian history. I have now started writing the next chapter of Rise of the Divines and I will try and get it finished sometime in September.
